Abdomen-supporting means and garter belt



June 23, 1959 P. BLATT 2,891,551

ABDOMEN-SUPPORTING MEANS AND GARTER BELT Filed July 5, 1955 IN VEN TOR. Beau: 62427 ArroRNEYS United States Patent ABDOMEN-SUPPORTING MEANS AND GARTER BELT Paula Blatt, Cleveland, Ohio Application July 5, 1955, Serial No. 519,700

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-535) This invention relates to the general art of maternity garments.

The general object of my present invention is to devise an improved combined form of garment which includes an abdomen-supporting means and a garter-attaching means.

More specifically, the object is to devise a combined abdomen-supporting means and a garter-attaching means in which there may be permitted any up-and-down movement as may be caused by the use of stockings and garters, but without disturbing the position of. the abdomen-supporting means.

Another object is to devise such a garment with an improved abdomen-supporting means which is so formed as to have an upward and forward inclination that will adapt it for most effective engagement beneath the abdomen of the wearer during the period of pregnancy.

Another object is to devise such a garment with an improved means for varying the size and for releasably attaching the same about the body of the wearer.

Other objects will appear from the following description and claims when considered together with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating my present device as it appears from the front of the body of the wearer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view from the rear thereof.

It is to be understood that the present form of disclosure is merely for the purpose of illustration and that there might be devised various modifications thereof without departing from the spirit of my invention as herein set forth and claimed.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the comparatively wide longitudinally elastic band 1, which is adapted to extend about the front part of the body of the wearer, may be tapered down to a more narrow width towards the ends thereof where it has attached thereto the comparatively narrow longitudinally elastic strips 2 and 3 which have means of adjustment for size and also releasable means of connection at the rear, as will be explained below.

The front or middle part of the band 1 has attached thereto upon the outer surface thereof a layer 4 of material that is non-elastic longitudinally thereof. This overlying part 4 is of inverted trapezoidal form and, in applying the same, it is attached to the band 1 while the latter is in stretched condition so as to thereby produce an upward and forward inclination of this laminated portion, upon release thereof, that is thus adapted for most effective engagement beneath the abdomen of the wearer during the period of pregnancy. Also, the net result of this laminated combination will be that it is non-elastic; but the other adjacent portions of the band 1 will supply the necessary elasticity laterally thereof so as to permit this band to have snug and resilient engagement about the body of the wearer at all times.

The strip 2 has its end portion extended through the 2,891,55 l- Patented June 23, 1959 closed eye of an old form of rigid fastener 5 and then folded back upon itself and secured at its end so as to provide a loop 6 of substantial length. The eye of this fastener 5 has the parallel side portions 5a and 5b; and this fastener element has the open hook portion 50 which extends substantially parallel to the eye portion thereof.

The strip 3 is extended through the space between the open hook portion 7a of a duplicate fastener element 7 of rigid form and the adjacent parallel side portion 7b of the closed eye which has the other parallel portion 70. The strip 3 is thence extended through the eye of this fastener 7 and is then doubled outwardly back upon itself so as to form a loop 8 and has its end afixed about the side portion 7c of the closed eye. This loop portion 8 is adapted for attachment releasably to the hook 5c and is sufficiently long to permit ready insertion of the finger of the user; and its length may be varied by slidable adjustment of the fastener 7 along the strip 3 in order to vary the size of the garment about the body of the wearer. Also, the flexibility of the strip 3 will permit it to be temporarily removed from the open hook portion 7a in order to facilitate the sliding of the fastener 7 along the strip 3 for adjustment, whereupon the strip 3 may be reengaged within the space between the eye and the open hook.

The longitudinally elastic strip 9 has its ends attached to the band 1 at points corresponding substantially to the hip regions of the body of the wearer and extends in overlying relation about the outer surface of the abdomen-supporting means above described. Except for the points of attachment at its two ends, this strip 9 is free and is hence capable of movement with respect to the abdomen-supporting means which comprises the band 1 and its supplemental portion 4. The strip 9 is of substantially less width than the abdomen-supporting means so that it will always occupy overlying relation with respect to the same in spite of the up-and-down movement of the strip 9 as may be due to the tension transmitted through the garters G. That is, since the strip 9 has the front garters G attached thereto, it is free to respond to any up-and-down force from the garters G but without disturbing the position of the abdomen-supporting means 1-4 and without leaving at any time its overlying relation with respect to the abdomen-supporting means. The garters G may be attached to the strip 9 at such points that they may extend down along the front median lines of the wearers thighs; and the garters G may be attached at the rear ends of the belt 1.

Thus I have devised a combined garment in which each part may perform its particular function without interfering with that of the other part. That is to say, the abdomen-supporting means 1--4 may at all times remain in its intended position beneath the abdomen and in most effective engagement therewith without any disturbance by any movement of the garter-supporting strip 9 as may be due to the movements of the wearers body when stockings and garters are worn. Also, by having the garter-supporting strip 9 arranged upon the outer surface of the abdomen-supporting means, any up-anddown movement of the strip 9 will not cause any chafing of the body of the wearer; and the fixed position of the abdomen-supporting means also contributes to this feature of comfort, as does also the constant overlying relation of the strip 9 with respect to the abdomen-supporting means 14. Another advantage of my present form of device consists in the means of ready attachment and detachment at the rear thereof, together with the efficient means of adjustment for varying the size of the garment so as to always ensure snug fit about the body of the wearer. In a word, this garment provides eflicient service as a supporting means for the abdomen during the period of pregnancy and also as a garter-attaching means,

and always with utmost comfort upon the part of the wearer. Furthermore, this combination of abdomensupporting means and garter belt may be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

What I claim is:

1. A maternity garment comprising a continuous band adapted to have engagement with the sacroiliac region of the Wearers body and also to extend only angularly from the sacroiliac region so as to be adapted to engage only beneath the abdomen of the wearer in upward supporting engagement therewith, said band including a longitudinally elastic portion so as to conform snugly to the body of the wearer, and an elastic strip attached at its two ends to said band at points corresponding approximately to the hips of the wearer and adapted to extend about the front part of the wearers body, said band and strip occupying overlying and unattached relation to each other between the points of attachment of the ends of said strip so as to permit movement of said strip with respect to said band, and said strip having garters depending therefrom.

2. The same structure as recited in claim 1 hereof and in which said strip extends about the outer surface of said band.

3. In a device of the class described, a band adapted to extend about the body of the wearer and having free ends, a fastener element having a closed eye with parallel side portions and having an open hook portion parallel to and spaced from said closed eye, one end portion of said band extending between said hook portion and one side portion of said closed eye and thence through said closed eye and thence folded back upon itself and having its end affixed to the other side portion of said closed eye, and the other end of said band having a loop portion, a second fastener element having a closed eye through which said loop portion extends and having a parallel 4 open hook portion adapted for releasable engagement with the folded portion of the said first-mentioned end of said band.

4. In a maternity garment, a longitudinally elastic band adapted to extend about the sacroiliac region of the body of the wearer and to have uplifting engagement beneath the wearers abdomen, that part of said band which is adapted for engagement beneath the wearers abdomen being of continuous, uninterrupted form and having attached to the outer surface thereof a supplemental body of longitudinally inelastic material so as to render the abdomen-supporting portion of said band longitudinally inelastic in its effect, said supplemental body of material being of inverted substantially trapezoidal form and being attached to said elastic band while said band is in stretched condition, so as to thereby produce an upward and forward inclination thereof for abdomen-supporting engagement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 916,733 Linhardt Mar. 30, 1909 965,556 Beltermann July 26, 1910 987,900 McKinney Mar. 28, 1911 1,359,573 Brennan Nov. 23, 1920 1,366,897 Berry Feb. 1, 1921 2,055,538 Imler Sept. 29, 1936 2,710,486 Blatt June 14, 1955 2,719,973 Blatt Oct. 11, 1955 2,736,899 Ayres Mar. 6, 1956 2,765,470 Read Oct. 9, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 687,375 France Apr. 28, 1930 506,556 Great Britain May 31, 1939 

